


only holding on by a thin, thin thread

by punkrockbadger



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Families of Choice, Female Character of Color, Gen, Male Character of Color, Male-Female Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-13
Updated: 2014-10-13
Packaged: 2018-02-20 23:39:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2447315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/punkrockbadger/pseuds/punkrockbadger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I— I think you’re beautiful.”</p><p>"Me?" She asks, surprised, and his face falls slightly. She must have let it show on her face, must have looked something other than composed, and Harry’s hurt shines just as brightly as his smiles do. "Where’s your evidence?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	only holding on by a thin, thin thread

**Author's Note:**

> Set in early October of 1995.

"I heard what they called you, earlier." Harry sneaks up on Hermione, who is bent over a book like it will change the world for her with the magic of its words, erase all the boundaries set for her and replace them with neat periods and commas and semicolons. Hermione has read the terms and conditions of this life too many times over, annotated them faithfully in different colored gel pens with anecdotes carefully pieced together and hidden away in the pockets of her too large sweaters. "They’re mean, those Slytherins, and I— I think you’re _beautiful_.”

Harry says it with all the force of being fifteen and sure of yourself, and Hermione wonders how he holds his head so high when people are just as ready to bring his world crashing down as they are to do the same to her. She has seen the way Snape looks at him, looks at both of them, lip curling in derision as an insult plays along the gap between his rows of teeth. Snape is a shark, a predator, and she shudders every time he looks at her because she hardly ever feels safe in this place that is supposed to be some sort of safe haven.

"Me?" She asks, surprised, and his face falls slightly. She must have let it show on her face, must have looked something other than composed, and Harry’s hurt shines just as brightly as his smiles do. "Where’s your evidence?"

"You’re kind. And smart. And you did my potions essay for me, which is good, because it’s due tomorrow." He counts the stories off on fingers which are long and tanned like hers. The two of them match, more so than either of them match Ron, and it brings her solace on these nights when nothing seems to go right. "You’ve got the prettiest brown eyes. And you’re always looking out for everyone, even the people that don’t need it. You’re… you’re like a big sister to me, you know?"

At that, she looks over at Harry, wondering when the little boy she met on the train, hopeful and bright and indomitable, had become the man that everyone needed him to become, and sees green eyes brimming with tears despite a strongly set jaw and a guarded expression born of years of hiding. They have both grown up too fast, in a world that requires them to be adults before their time, and this is a whole other war they are fighting.

"Thanks, Harry." She smiles, soft and quiet, and he reciprocates, clumsily offering a hand to hold. "I… I needed that."

"I’ll hex them, if you like." He looks hopeful, as if he thinks she might actually say yes, and she is suddenly reminded of that boy on the train, who thought that maybe, this world would be kinder than the one they were both running from. She tries to forget, for a moment, the fact that they were both disappointed, both failed by a place they were told was going to become their home.

"You’re in enough trouble as it is." She gestures to him with the feathery end of her quill. "And if you want to get past Potions this year, you’ll need to learn what was on that essay eventually."

"I’ll do it." He wipes his eyes on the sleeve of his sweater and they both studiously ignore the dark trail left behind. "Eventually."

"Won’t we all?" She asks, pressing her free hand against his, and he links his fingers with hers. "Someday, I mean?"

Harry gets it, when she speaks like this, understands that the question is a little bigger than the moment at hand, and nods.

"It’ll all be right, someday." He says, eyes burning with determination, and she wants to tell him to slow down, to be a child a little longer, but it is not to be and they both know it. "I’ll make it alright. For you and me and everyone else."

"And I’ll make sure you don’t break any laws on the way." She nudges him with her shoulder, careful and hesitant in her affection, and he laughs like he hasn’t in years. "I’m your big sister, you said it yourself. I’ve got to watch out for you, don’t I?"

"Yeah." He rest his head on her shoulder. "Maybe I’ll try a little harder to make sure there’s not as much to watch out for."

"Did you mean it?" She asks and he nods, forehead bumping against her jaw. "…I think you’re beautiful too."

"Thanks", he says, sounding more like the little boy from the cupboard than a hero, and they fall into silence.


End file.
